Multiple probelms with this designer. Several errors in the design palns that affected the cabinet maker, the last contractor, and me- including creating an opening for the oven that was too small. Sven Grell has redesigned his website, and now only mentions only that he will supply certain other services if needed. I those services include referrals, DO NOT USE THEM.
:
- His contractor referral (Mike Valdez / Marcials Construction) didn't get a building permit and my job was shut down by the city. It took months to find someone else last minute, and when he started, he encountered numerous things that weren't done to code. Thus upset his entire timetable and caused hardship to the subs and to me that are still present as I sweep up the mess a year later. Mike compalined to Mike that I fired him after hanging up on him- you bet I did. He sent me a text saying the job had beeen red tagged by the city and shut down, and used a laughing emoji.
- Sven referred a cabinet maker that he knew to be overextended and behind, who had clinets compalining about him even while he was rececommending him to me. The carpenter was so clearly not able to deliver that I took things off his list and worked hard to find three other carpenters to complete the job. It was a nightmare to source last minute. Even with a diminished list, the cabinets came in so late they delayed the stone countertops and put the installers off schedule.
- The stone fabricator (Frank Alestra) was so incommunicative, AWOL, and late, that it wasn't even clear that he was going to deliver at all. He ignored both me and my new contractor repeatedly- Sven knew this when he recommended him, but seemed to think this kind of thing was merely a hassle.
- All told, the contractor fiasco, the cabinet maker's dysfunction, and the stone fabricator's negligence nearly sabotaged my job again, and caused so much stress for everyone else that my job was almost paralysed again. I'm still cleaning up his mess.
- i had to saty five kore months in my Airbnb because of Mike Valdez, at a trmedous cost, then stay another two months at a neighbor's house- all because of his irresponsible referrals.
- If you have trouble with the contractor or his sub referrals, be aware that while he says he can assist and grease the skids to move things forward with them if needed, what he doesn't tell you is that he's working both sides, not just yours as the client. He did not charge for this two years ago, but whether free or for a price, this is a massive conflict that he is so naive he doesn't even see it as on. His future work is tied in with giving sub referrals- if this is a service he offers you, drop him.
- The designs: He's up front that he does not represent himself as an "interior designer", so the client decides the finish and style of the cabinets, hardware, fixtures, etc. He does not do lighting placement or tile design. Kim White did an amazing job with both for me. The other designer Sven recommended was one of the rudest people I've talked to in the industry. She immediately called Sven to compalin about *me*, bizzarely- see the conflict ?? He's the daddy man for these subs- they whine to him.
- I did a major design fix myself on an extremely awkward hinged door overlapping a pocket door. Sven was at a loss how to do it. Just fyi. He also had what could only be called a temper tantrum in my house at the end of the design phase, so off-center that I told him to leave. He followed this up with a series of long emails attacking my person, passed on lies and hearsay (slander) that he believed, and insulted me repeatedly in each email.
Any reply from Sven to this review other than a sincere apology, will recieve a simple list of all the insults he hurled at me, quoted directly from his email. PS. He got paid in full. And my attorney and advisors have copies of the entire chain of events. AVOID THIS BUSINESS. read more